The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 50mm f1.8 II and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 80mm. The Canon 50mm f1.8 II with a length of 41mm, is 39mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Canon 50mm f1.8 II's 68mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon 50mm f1.8 II weighs 130g, which means it is 270g (67%) lighter than the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro which has a weight of 400g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 50mm f1.8 II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 50mm f1.8 II:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 50mm f1.8 II and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Canon 50mm f1.8 II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
80mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.